WHAT'S ON MY FRAME?

If you thought I'd choose this one, you were right.  Besides, it is "Year of the Horse" according to the Chinese Lunar calendar.

I've only recently begun hooking and wasn't sure if I wanted to hook a snowy ground or dark as in the antique.   Afterall, a sleigh slides on snow.  But a sleigh ride in the shadows has much more mystery and excitement, doesn't it?  So Shadow Sleighride it is.

You will notice I reduced the depth of the ground by about 1" from the original antique.  Not sure if I'll regret that or not but could always add a couple extra hooked rows later if I do.  Something else bothering me is the disjointed lines behind the horse's neck.  Am thinking it may have been intended as part of the reign system.  So not sure how I'll handle that yet, but did draw it in.

Saundra

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A FAVORITE RUG

Do you have a favorite rug you've hooked?  Has anyone ever asked you that question?  If so, did you have a clear and direct reply?  Probably not, just like me.  Usually I say, "the one I'm hooking".

Truth is I have many favorite rugs and some I've hooked which weren't.  For me there are favorites in different categories and I'll give you two examples today.  My favorite rug hooked with teacher was Kinderhook Basket which was hooked in my first class with Barb Carroll.  Numerous times I've looked at it for lessons learned with Barb that day and how she used values and color.  Here is that rug hooked in 2008.

While I've hooked numerous rugs with Barb, that one is my favorite.  Must admit there are a couple least favorite rugs hooked with a teacher and perhaps one day will show you those.  One I sold years ago and usually like to keep the teacher taught rugs.

The rug I'm most proud of isn't what you would think.  It happened out of the blue and with a pattern I didn't have a clue how to color plan.  Actually it was to be taken to Barb's and have her do the color planning for me.  But my ex couldn't take care of my big boy Ben and couldn't find anyone or anywhere to board him.  So had to cancel my class with Barb.

However, I decided to work on it anyway, while my friends were having fun attending class in Ligonier with Barb I'd be hooking the rug I'd planned but alone at home.  That happened to be a pattern called Gossip, sold by Woolley Fox and designed by Bill Laraway.  

Part of my problems were the little odd critters.  So decided to take a little creative license and make changes.  Obviously it is still a Bill Laraway design, not mine, but made it more to my liking.  Here is a photo of the pattern and the beginning of my changes.

Okay, made some bird changes.  But was trying to decide if those were leaves on each side and bottom.  Guess that's what they were intended for as someone else thought so too and this is how she hooked hers.  Hooked the leaves Magdalena style.

Me?  I didn't see them as leaves; I envisioned them as feathers, after all there are several birds perched there.  And so here is my adaptation of Gossip hooked 2017.

This is  how the label on the back reads....

Happy weekend, happy hooking.

Saundra

DOWN TO THE WIRE

I've still haven't decided on my next rug pattern yet, but Dahlia is all hooked.  Last evening I started binding it since there's no new pattern on my frame and needed/wanted something to work on.  Talk about hooking down to the wire.  Hate when that happens.

Today my task will be to decide on and enlarge a pattern for my frame. I sorta think I've made up my mind and here are a few which are being auditioned.  The blue birds I posted previously.

This antique floral below was on my 'to hook list' several years ago.  Guess I didn't draw it because the top part of the rug was not visible.  And will be a pain, not impossible tho, to just duplicate what's on the bottom on top of  the design. 

Big dog little house is very interesting with the tiny critters above and side of the house and hooking the background would certainly not be boring.

Of course this year, the 250th anniversary of America, the design below would be apropos.  But haven't decided if I'd follow this same color plan or change it up a bit.  Red, white and blue are our colors.

And last, a blast from the past I'd almost forgotten about, horse drawn sleigh.  So I've dusted it off and put it in the file as a potential project.

Guess I'd better get off'n this contraption and made a decision as I can't go another evening without a rug on my frame.  Which means I've still a mess to clean up around the hooking spot before that can happen.  

 
Saundra

NEW WINDOW SCAPE

Decided it was time to change the view of my window scape.  It is daylight right now so after this photo I removed the rug and it will go back up this evening when I'm sitting at the window hooking.

It is an antique adaptation hooked in 2024, with a blotchy background I love so much.  The previous window scape rug, deer and blue house, was then placed on the harvest table to enjoy just a little longer.

The Kaleidoscope Dahlia rug still isn't finished and haven't decided on my next major adaptation to hook.  But, have had visions of Magdalena running thru my mind.  I've hooked numerous Magdalena rugs, 9 of which are hanging on my walls and the big Eagle design is at the front door as the welcome rug.

Another time when having a Magdalena urge, I designed and hooked the Crow Magdalena style.  It is smallish at 13 x 16 and see it every day in my kitchen.  

Perhaps my temporary next fix will be another smallish Magdalena style piece with a  different critter as the subject.  Guess you might even call that my plus one before the main one is decided.  

Time for me to pull more loops on Dahlia, it's almost lunchtime and I haven't pulled one loop.  Have been wasting time searching antique rugs for inspiration.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

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LOOKING FOR THE NEXT ONE

I'm getting close enough to the end of my present project that a search for the next project will soon be critical.  Meanwhile will post a couple recent antique rug finds.

This recently found rug of blue birds would be a good one to give me spring thoughts.  Circa 1900, dimensions of 19 x 46.

No date was provided on this floral.  It has an abstract appeal to it and  hooked on burlap (24 x 40).

You know I have an affinity for horses but that yellow color is a total turn off.  I'd question my color choices in an attempt to make it pretty.  Measures 23 x 36.5 and no date was given.

A dog rug dated 1927 hooked in the rug, measures 28.5 x 39.

An antique rug hooked with nylons and rags purchased by April.

A basket of flowers said to be hooked 20th century.   

A busy rug with birds and patriotic colors.  It is hooked, knotted, stitched and patched.  It measures 28 x 46 but auction house didn't provide a date.

Below is a photo of the back where you can see it was hooked in segments and stitched together.

That's it for this show folks.  Back to my Dahlia and tomorrow back on a search for the next one.

Saundra

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THIS and THAT

To start I'll show you a couple old rugs.  For you chicken rug folks here are a pair of roosters facing off.  Sorry, no date provided but it looks to have some age.

Described as a fat dog, this rug was said to be hooked between 1890-1920.  It measures 33 x 39.5 textiles used are cotton on burlap.

The rug below of fur, feathers ..and a fish, I have no clue about.  But saw it somewhere and loved it.  Is it an oldie or did someone with great skills to make it look old hooked it?  If anyone seeing this knows, please advise.

Switching channels now to homeownership.  You may recall this photo I posted after a large limb fell on the side of my newly shingled home with new leaf guard protection.  Yup, couldn't have happened before the work was done.  Here is the damage.

I called the company who did my roof and gutter work, told them about the damage and asked if someone could drop by and give me an estimate to repair.  Within a couple days the owner did drop by, evaluated the situation and said he'd give me a call with an estimate.

Weeks went by and no call back.  So decided to call a local handyman who has done work in the neighborhood. 

A day or so later the roofing owner finally returned my call and said I'd need new gutters, new leaf filters and cost would be $1,200.  WHAT?????  That's when I told him I'd called someone else since I  hadn't heard from him in so long.

Frankly I didn't believe all that needed to be replaced.  Plus I did have 2 extra leaf filters left over from the original work.  Just in case it did need replacing I went outside and guesstimated the length of gutters and leaf filters that might be required and do my own cost analysis just for supplies.  The figures below are prices found on Lowe's web site.   

~ 10' brown gutters = $16

~ gutter hangers per each = $3

~ 16' Atlas gutter guard = $50

Yesterday the handyman dropped by and repaired the area using the same gutters and guards to the cost of $50.  Mark straightened out what was bent, tightened hangers of the gutter to the house and placed the bent shingles back over the guards.  He did explain that when it warms up the shingles will fall back down in place.  But they've been frozen in that bent upward position for weeks. 

Yup, $50 compared to $1,200.  Am pleased with the results and particularly the price.  As Lauren will probably comment..."welcome to homeownership".

 

Saundra

DECISION FINALLY MADE

Yes, finally decided which color wool to outline the corner petal bursts.  The top right side is what the test section looked like for me to choose from.  The bottom right is what I decided ~ I went for the gold.

Below is a photo of what it looks now and I'm happy with my decision.

I've a way to go on this project before even thinking about what is next on my frame.  Frankly there's not anything on my radar yet.

It is FRIGID here in Delaware and cannot imagine what those of you who live up 'nawth' are dealing with.  Last week I used 10% of my remaining in ground propane to heat the house and I keep the thermostat low.  Which means I'll need to order more propane next week because if I use another 10% the level will be at 30% or less.  Thankfully it will warm up a bit next week but winter isn't over so will still require more propane.

Lunch break is over so it's rug hooking time to help generate some heat in these hands by working with wool.  Happy hooking.

Saundra

MY RUG REVIEW of 2025

First I'd like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2026.  Now to my rug review which is inflated by one.  That is because the last loops of the rug below weren't hooked until 4 days into January 2025.  So felt guilty adding it to my 2024 count since it wasn't completely hooked in 2024.  The first rug finished January 4th was Magdalena's Animal Parade adaptation.

My next project was another big antique adaptation which I named Animals Great and Small.

The Deer Torsos adaptation was next on the frame.

Then decided to hook one third of a triptych patriotic antique rug, the Eagle section.

Again, another antique design was chosen to hook for my kitchen, the chicken pair with food bowl.  Robin had a lot of fun with my hooking of this one and I did a bit of reverse hooking.

Since Lauren was attending an event where she'd be doing some 'scrappy' hooking I decided to challenge myself too, at home.  Am not too pleased with my puny border design.  I believe the angled hooking directions altered the shape of what used to be a square piece of linen.

Appears that I was following the leader....Lauren, again.  She said her next project was going to be Ezra's Farm, a design by Cinnamon Creek.  So what does a follower do but follow. 😉  I did take some creative license and put a little patriotic flavor in mine.

A birdie told me that daughter-in-law love wished for a snowman rug for Christmas.  Since I'm selfish and only like hooking what I want, the Christmas gift was started in August, plenty of time for me to have it done by Christmas and have time to put it away when not in the mood.  This is my design and was made specifically for my girl Cathy.  The label on the back says just that.   Surprisingly it was finished way before Christmas and was fun to hook.

My next project was an antique adaptation commemorating a personal historical event.  A few of my paternal ancestors came to America (Baltimore in fact) on sailing ship The Ark.  There were originally two ships which sailed together known as The Ark and The Dove.  My family were on the Ark so I hooked that ship's image on the antique rug.  This is my adaptation which hangs on the wall.

Back to the animals ~ another antique adaptation which I named Farm Menagerie.

Then after posting one of my antique rug shows Lauren and I decided to do a hook along with a design I called 'Hearts and Squares' in the blog post.  What started out to be just the pair of us, Lauren thought  it would be more fun with more people.  Turned out 12 people joined and Hearts Hook-along was born.  This is my drab rendition but you can view what 10 of the 12 have accomplished HERE.  

The final hooked and bound rug of 2025 was the Geometric and Floral antique adaptation below.  When designing my adaptation from the original, a couple elements were removed, making it more eye appealing to me.  Someone wanted me to draw a pattern for them but I declined as it was a bear to draw my own.  But boy do I love the rug.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, the dozen rugs is inflated due to  the first rug which needed 4 more days' hooking into 2025.  Lauren suggested that if the count bothered me that much perhaps I should say only 11.25 rugs were hooked in 2025.  That girl is always thinking.  

Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2026.  Remember that happiness must be grown in your own garden.  For me, hooking rugs is the seed.

Saundra

LAST POST OF 2025 (edited)

The Hearts Hook-along has been underway for 3 months.  After the idea of a Hearts Hook-along was born, the start date decided was October 1st.  And I didn't even cheat by starting earlier.

Kim made her first hook-along presentation just now and it is looking festively like Valentine's Day to me.  All she has to do now is the border.  You go girl!

Sue chose to take a different approach to her hook along design.  Hers is very close to the finish line now.  We've all watched her redesign and re-hook sections of the rug to reach this near finish.  Bet she will have this all hooked before 2026 rolls around in a few hours.

Jo chose to stay true to the original antique design.  She has all the outlines and some motif's complete.  Will be fun to see what colors Jo will choose to fill in those remaining areas.

Michelle also did a little redesign with the heart in hand.  What a perfect heartfelt image she has created from the original.  Michelle is caring for her mother so this will always signify an expression of love.  

In case you missed the previously posted finishes, here they are again.  Nancy finished her rug in the October, the month the hook-along began.  She drew it to fit the top of a bench her husband built. 

Margaret completed her rug, including binding, November 2nd.

The following day, November 3rd I'd finished hooking but the binding would be completed days later.   Now I regret using bland outline colors and wish I'd gone with a bold dark outline.  Oh well.

EDITED ~ Sheila did hook more and sent me this updated photo of her achievement.   She accomplished lots more and it is looking fantastic!!!

Elaine's first and last update in November shows me she's really looking forward to spring.  Guess she couldn't take those knitting needles out of her hands.

Lauren had her rug all hooked, bound and labeled in December.  Good for her to not have this as a UFO going into 2026.  And those bold outline  colors are what I wish my rug looked like.  

Well kiddos, 'tis New Years Eve.  Will soon be chopping up celery, onion, garlic and green pepper for my traditional black eye peas dinner.  This year I'm forgoing the greens and corn bread.  Won't be making any New Years resolutions either because I'd end up not keeping them anyway.

I will enjoy the evening at home alone hooking and will not stay up and watch the ball drop as I hope to be sound asleep at that time.  Well, that is until my first of a few pee calls, 😏.  May you enjoy the evening no matter how you wish to celebrate.

Saundra